Migrating from CopyMeThat: A Practical Guide

CopyMeThat is a popular recipe manager, particularly for people who clip recipes from websites. At $1 per month for unlimited recipes (free for up to 40), it is affordable and the browser-based clipping works well. But if you have decided to move on -- whether you are switching to a different app, setting up a self-hosted solution, or just want a backup in a portable format -- you need to know how to get your recipes out.

This guide walks through the process from start to finish.

Step 1: Export Your Recipes from CopyMeThat

CopyMeThat provides export functionality, though the options are limited. Here is how to access it:

1. Log in to CopyMeThat on the web (not the mobile app).
2. Go to your recipe collection.
3. Look for the export or backup option in your account settings.
4. CopyMeThat lets you export in three formats: HTML, TXT, or as a ZIP archive containing either of those.

A few things to know about these exports:

HTML export is the richest option. It produces an HTML file (or files) where each recipe is structured with CSS classes like recipe, recipeName, recipeIngredient, and instruction. The formatting preserves the most data -- recipe names, ingredients, instructions, categories, notes, source URLs, ratings, prep/cook times, yield, and even images (as references).

TXT export is simpler. Each recipe becomes a plain text file with the title on the first line, followed by section headers like "Ingredients" and "Instructions." Metadata like source URLs, servings, and times may appear as labeled lines (e.g., "Servings: 4" or "Cook time: 30 minutes"). It is readable but less structured.

ZIP export bundles multiple HTML or TXT files together. If you have a large collection, this is typically what you will get.

Step 2: Upload to MoveMyRecipes

Once you have your export file, head to movemyrecipes.com/copymethat.

Upload your file -- HTML, TXT, or ZIP, any of them work. MoveMyRecipes detects the format automatically.

For ZIP files: The parser opens the archive and looks at the contents. If it finds HTML files, it uses the HTML parser. If it finds TXT files, it uses the text parser. Either way, it processes every recipe file in the archive.

For HTML files: The parser uses DOM parsing to locate recipe elements by their CSS class names. It pulls out the recipe name, ingredients (from list items within the ingredients section), instructions (from the instructions list), description, notes, categories, source URLs, ratings, times, yield, favorite status, and images.

For TXT files: The parser reads the file line by line. It identifies the recipe name from the first line, detects section headers like "Ingredients" or "Directions" using pattern matching, and extracts metadata from labeled lines. It even makes educated guesses about unlabeled content -- short lines with measurements look like ingredients, longer paragraphs look like instructions.

If your ZIP export includes image files alongside the HTML, MoveMyRecipes inlines those images as base64 data URIs in the parsed output, so they carry through to your exported files. Images larger than 5MB are skipped to keep file sizes reasonable.

Step 3: Choose Your Export Format

After parsing, you choose one or more export formats. MoveMyRecipes offers seven:

• JSON (Schema.org) -- the most portable option, compatible with many recipe apps and self-hosted tools
• CSV -- for spreadsheets, databases, or bulk analysis
• Markdown -- for Obsidian, Notion, or plain-text recipe collections
• CookLang (.cook) -- the open-source recipe format
• PDF -- formatted recipe cards for printing
• HTML -- styled, standalone web pages
• Open Recipe Format (YAML) -- structured open standard

You can export all your recipes to any or all of these formats. The conversion is free, no account is required, and your files are automatically deleted after seven days.

What Data Comes Through

Here is a realistic accounting of what transfers from CopyMeThat and what might not.

Transfers well:

• Recipe names
• Ingredient lists
• Step-by-step instructions
• Source URLs (the website you originally clipped from)
• Categories and tags
• Personal notes
• Prep time, cook time, and total time
• Serving/yield information
• Ratings
• Favorite/starred status
• Images (from HTML exports with embedded or referenced images)

May need attention:

• Ingredient grouping. If your CopyMeThat recipes use subheaders within the ingredients list (like "For the sauce:" or "For the crust:"), the parser skips those subheader lines to avoid mixing them in with actual ingredients. The ingredients themselves still come through, but the grouping structure is lost.
• Formatting within instructions. Bold, italic, or other rich text formatting in your instructions is stripped during parsing. The text content is preserved, but not the styling.
• Images from external URLs. If your recipe references an image hosted on the original recipe website, that link is preserved. But if the original site has removed or changed the page, the image may not load.

Does not transfer:

• Meal plans (these are app-specific organizational features, not part of the recipe export)
• Shopping lists
• CopyMeThat-specific account settings

Tips for a Smooth Migration

Export everything at once. If CopyMeThat gives you the option to export your full collection as a ZIP, take it. Processing one file is simpler than handling dozens of individual exports.

Prefer HTML over TXT. The HTML export contains more structured data, which means the parser can extract more fields accurately. The TXT parser is smart about inferring structure, but structured HTML will always produce cleaner results.

Spot-check a few recipes. After exporting, open a couple of your most complex recipes -- the ones with lots of ingredients, subgroups, or detailed notes -- and verify that everything came through correctly. Most recipes convert cleanly, but a quick check gives you confidence.

Keep your CopyMeThat account active during migration. Do not delete your CopyMeThat account until you have verified your exported recipes look correct. Having the originals available for comparison is useful if anything needs manual cleanup.

Why Migrate Now?

CopyMeThat works fine for many people, and if you are happy with it, there is no pressure to leave. But there are practical reasons to at least have a portable backup:

• Recipe apps do sometimes shut down or get abandoned. Ziplist closed in 2014 and Pepperplate was effectively abandoned around 2022. Users of both lost recipes they had not backed up.
• Your needs might change. Maybe you want to move to a self-hosted tool like Mealie or Tandoor Recipes. Maybe you want your recipes in Obsidian. Having them in a portable format keeps your options open.
• A backup in JSON or Markdown costs you nothing and takes a few minutes. Even if you stay with CopyMeThat, having an independent copy of your recipes is just good practice.

Head to movemyrecipes.com/copymethat to get started. Upload your CopyMeThat export, pick your formats, and download the results. The whole process takes a few minutes for most collections.